Railway draft rigging



Oct. 4, 1932. J. F. OCONNOR RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING Filed Feb. 16, 1931 Patented Oct. 4, 1932 'PATENT OFFICE Jorim r. oconnon, oFcIIIcAGo, ILLINOIS, AssI'GNoR 'ro w. n. MINER, INC., or CHICAGO,

' ILLINOIS, ,A conronAIIon or DELAWARE p. Anarrar/AY DRAFT BIGGING Application led February 16, 1931. Serial No. 516,041.

This invention relates to improvementsin. railwayadraft riggings. i 'y One object-of the inventionfis-toprovide a railway draft rigging including aishock A Aabsorbing mechanismwhich is compressed to a greaterextent in bu than in vdraft to provide correspondingly higher shock absorbing capacity, wherein the shock absorbing` mechanism comprises a friction Shell andcooperating friction elements, yand the compression thereof insdraftis limitedby stop means in thefform of relativelyxheavy keys secured tothe underframe structure of the car and havingy shouldered Aengagement withl the shell l5 of theshock absorbing mechanism, and the IJ compression in buff is limited .by engagement of the usualmain follower with the corre. sponding 'end ofithe friction. shell;

Another: object .of the invention is to provide a railwaydraft rigging of the character indicated in theprecedingparagraph, wherein theA stopv keys also serve to support and guide foneend of thefriction shell wliilethe otherend thereof is'supported by afsaddle plate member.. t Y Other objects of ytheinvention will more clearly` yappear from 'the description and claims hereinafter following.

,In the drawing, forminga 'part `of this specification, Figure -liisa horizontal, longitudinal, sectional'viewthrough the under-y frame structureof a railway car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith, andv FigureA 2 is a longitudinal sideelevas" tional view'nf the structure illustrated in Figure 1. ff Insaid' drawing, 10-10 indicatesl channel.

shaped: centersor draft sillsgof fthe. underframe structure of a railway car. The usual of the sills and has front stop members 13-13 forme'dintegral therewith. As. shown', the front stop members have aligned ,coupler'key guide slots 'lil-14 therein. i The sills 10-10 Ahavetlieirouter ends disposed inwardly of the-outer face of the striking casting 12, and thesills are provided with openings at the forwardends which receive the usual flanges surroundingthe .guide slots 14 of the stop striking.casting:1i)l is'Xed to the' outer 4ends i .gagement with the wedge block D. Y The -wedge friction means, shoes and shell of the members 13-18. A. combined :rear stop and filler casting 15 is fixed between the draft sills, said casting being recessed as indicated at 16 to accommodate the rear end portion of the yoke. A carry iron member 17 is secured to the bottom flanges of the sills 10-10, adjacent the outer ends thereof, the same serving to support the forward end of the yoke of v the draft rigging.

My improved draft rigging proper includes broadly a yoke member A.; a front follower B; a friction shock absorbing mechanism infcluding a friction shell C and cooperating vwedge friction means D and shoes E; combil'ned op and guide keys FF; and av saddle ate The yoke A is of the vertical type and ha a hooded forward end which receives the shank of the coupler which is indicated by 18. The side walls of the hood are provided with the usual coupler key receiving slots,

and a key 19 extending through said slots, 70

, the. coupler shank, and the slots 14s-14, operatively connects the coupler to' the yoke. The yoke being of well known form, further description thereof is not necessary.

The shock absorbing mechanism, which includes the friction shell C, and the front main follower B are disposed within the yoke. The front follower cooperates with the shoulders of the front stops 13-13 and bears upon the wedge member D of the friction means.

The friction shell C comprises a spring cagesection at the rear thereof and has the friction shell proper formed at the forward end. The shell or casing is provided with a transverse rear end wall 20 which extends laterally Y outwardly beyond the side walls of the shell and forms the rear follower member of the draft rigging. v The rear follower f member cooperates with the rear stop casting 15 in the usualmanner. The shell or casing C is'open at the forward end and has a vplurality of friction shoes E slidably movable therein, the shoes havingwedging enfriction shock absorbing mechanism are of well known-form and as will be understood, inward movement of the friction shoes therein is resisted by the usualspring means 21 100 disposed within the frictionshell. The retainer bolt, by which the parts of the friction shock absorbing mechanism areY held as'- sembled, is indicated by 22, and as clearly shown in Figure l, has the rear end thereof projecting lugs or guide members 23A-23 on opposite sides thereof. The lugs 23--23 are main'follower B being greater than the norprovided with outwardly opening longitudi- .nal guide ways Vor slots 24-24 for the purpose hereinafter pointed out. The-rear end:

wallsQ'of the guide vslots serve as stop shoul-V ders .forr restricting the forward or draft movement of the friction shell C.l

AtA the forward end thel friction shell is v v supported by the saddle plate G which is se-A 'fcured in any suitable manner to the bottom ianges of the draft sills lO'-l0. Asherein shown,` the saddle plate is riveted to theV flanges of the sills. In order to properly guide the front end of the friction shell, guide brackets 26-26 are provided on the inner sides ofthe draft sills. Each of the brackets 26 has a central inwardly offset portion whichformsl the guide means proper thereof and the brackets are perfectly riveted to the ver- .-.tical webs of the sills.

- The combined stop and guide keysY F-F i are disposed at opposite sides of the mechanism andare detachably secured to the draft sills Y1O`-l`0 As most clearly shownin Fig-V :,urerl,t supporting castings 27`27 are provided for' the keys Ir-F. lEach supporting" casting 27- comprises an elongated plate-like section 28' fixed to the outer side-of the corresponding` draft`sill,gandV a laterally 'out- -fwardly extending@sleeve-like portion 29 whichl accommodates a corresponding key F. The plate-like members 28 of the castings are riveted'to the vertical webs of the sills y lOl-10 and have lflanges; 30-30 at their inner 4sides @which are seated in openings il-3l provided inthe sills 10-10. Each key F-is relatively short and is 'preferably headed at the outer end as indicated at 32. The'keys F snugly it the openings ofthe sleevefmembersofthe castings 28 and are'thus held againstmovement lengthwise of 'the' sills and are lfurther supported against vertical displacement.

Y The inner ends ofthe keys F-F are accommodated within the guide slots Ql-Qvofthe lugs on thefriction shell, thereby support@ ving the 'rear end portion of the shell. In

addition to :forming supporting means for the shell, the keys )T1-F also act as fixedVV stopscooperating with the shoulders formed by the rear walls 25%254 of the guide membersof the friction Vshell C to'limit forward'or draft movement of the latter.` Inorder topreventl accidental removal lof the keys F-F 'the same are locked-in position vbyboltsr 33 eXtend-' i'ng through the' top and bottom walls ofthe in draft,"` the normali spacing between 'the front end lofthe friction shell C and the front mal spacing between the rear edges of the keyssE-E and the-shoulders 25-25 formed by the rear end walls of the guide .slots of thelugs onv theshell.v 'i Y The operation of my. improved? railway."

draft rigging is as follows: Upon; inward movement ofcthe coupler'ina-bulingaction l the front follower B is thrust?rearwardlydrk rectly by the butt. ofthe ucoupler shank, theree by forcing thefriction -wedgefmeans -compris-1 ing the wedge D andthe* frictionislioes inwardly'ofthe friction shell C.. Duringthis; action4 the shell isv'heldagainst rearward:

movement by engagement-"with thevrear stop 15. The yinward sliding movement of the fric:- -tion shoes is yieldingly; opposed bythe.

spring means 21'. rBhe bufling stroke' ofthe mechanism is limited by' engagement: ofthe follower; Bwith the frontend ofthe: friction shell C, whereupon thek frictiongslelllacts as,`

a solid column toA transmitv the load l to fthe: rear stop ofthe sills. In this connection it is pointed out thatthe front; follower-B is provided withz an= inwardly` proj ecting cene tral boss'35' which isf ofy such a size as to freely telescope` within the open: frontendA ofA the friction shell C. By'this meansexcessivel overhang of the friction web means :with rer-t spect to the shellfisavoid'ed In adraftf action the-coupler ispulled out:v

loa.

wardly or to the leftasviewed invFigurei l;

thereby pullingthe yoke inLthe-samerdirection through thevmediuvm ofthe connecting couplerkey 19:. In the forwardzorfoutward: Vmovement'of'the yoke the frictionshell C is` pulled outwardlyv also thereby.' compressing the friction means against theffrontffollow.- er AB which is at this time held stationary'byj engagement with the front stops 13;-13.y

Outwardzmovement ofthe shell5 inl draft, lis finally limitedby' engagement; ofthe shou'lf dersY 251-25 of the shell with' the rearV edges4 ofthe keys Thel forward orzoutward movementk ofy the, friction shellf'isxthus stoppedbefore the forwardiendf' of the shellv engages the frontifollower B.l

My improved' construction provides for greater compression* and` greater shock. ab'- Vsorbing capacity ofL the shock absorbing mechanism during a buftifngstroke'thanxdurl`v ing the dra-ftl stroke." thereof.`l "Furtherg'the arrangement of detachable supportingfkeysl Y facilitatesv quick? application orf removal` of:

GTI

the shock absorbing means withl respect to the underframe structure of the ear. In removing the friction shock absorbing mechanism, the front follower,'the yoke andthe coupler, it is merely necessary to withdraw the keys F-F and detach the saddle plate G and the carry iron 17. `The entire mechanism may then be dropped from between the sills. In the application of the parts the procedure is substantially the reverse, the friction shell being placed between the sills and the keys F-F engaged within the guide slots thereof to support the same.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim: Y f

l. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a friction shock absorbing mechanism including afriction shell and cooperating friction elements slidable within the shell, said shell having laterally outwardly projecting stop means at the rear end thereof; of a front follower, -said shell and follower being relatively movable toward and away from each other, relative approach of the shell and follower being limited in buff' by engagement of the former with the latter; and transversely aligned stationary keys secured to the underframe structure of the car, said keys having their inner ends projecting laterally inwardly of the stop means on the shell and having shouldered engagement with said stop means of the shell to restrict the draft movement of the shell to less than the relative movement of the follower and said shell in buff.

2. In a railway draft rigging, -the combihave hereunto subscribed my name this 12th (5 day of February, 1931.

JOI-IN F. OCONNOR.

nation with a friction shell having sliding friction means cooperating therewith; of a main follower', said shell and follower being relatively movable with respect to each other of exterior guideways on opposite sides of the shell, at one end thereof; and transversely aligned, combined supporting and vguide keys at opposite sides of the shell, said keys being fixed to the underframe structure of the car and each key having its inner end slidingly engaging within the guideways at the corresponding side of the shell.

3. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with spaced draft sills; of front and rear stop means on the sills; a'front follower cooperating with said front stop means; a friction shell; rear follower means on the shell cooperating with said rear stop means; wedge friction means slidable within the shell; guide lugs on opposite sides of the shell adjacent the'rear end thereof, said lugs having longitudinal guide slots therein; transversely aligned keys removably secured 

